MMA Monday Montessori Moments

February 20, 2018

MMA Monday Montessori Moments

February 20, 2018

A message from our Assistant Director, Kacee Weaver

As educators and parents, we are all reeling over the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting last week when 17 American lives were lost. Regardless of your political views about gun control, I think we can all agree that there’s more to it than that, support for mental health, improved parental involvement, less violence in the media, bullying prevention and more, things must change before more innocent lives are lost.

At MMA we believe our number one job is to keep students safe, both emotionally and physically and Maria Montessori believed that education was the most powerful and universal way to bring about World peace. In 1943 she wrote Peace and Education; examining history and citing science she called for deliberate organization for peace education.

Peace is defined as freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility and an end to war or violence. We create an environment in our school that facilitates these things on a daily basis. From the time students enter our school as 3-year olds until they exit as 15-year olds, we emphasize that we can respect and get along with others despite our own beliefs.

Our peace curriculum holds just as much importance as the math, science and reading curricula. Our teachers provide intentional lessons about the value of all living things, conflict resolution, speaking respectfully and showing respect to others. We know children are capable of great love and understanding, when shown love and understanding.

Our students learn about others’ cultures and traditions. They practice taking others’ perspectives and empathizing with one another. When a child makes a mistake we encourage a verbal apology, an act of service, along with a plan of how to learn from this mistake and not make it again. We study great peacemakers and celebrate differences in one another. Peace is the definition of a Montessori education.

After the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, we worked with Safe and Sound and North Ogden Police Department and installed security doors and safer entry procedure to protect your children. We installed a method for quick locking of interior doors through the use of removable magnetic strips and we continue to improve our lock down drill methods. We are working both proactively and re actively to keep your children safe. We believe that if more schools and teachers were asked to prioritize these things as we do, we could decrease the amount of deaths both by suicide (the leading cause of death for 11-18 year olds in Utah) and by tragedies like the one in Parkland, Florida.

Thank you for supporting your child and our shared goal of Education for a Better World. Navigating these topics, while essential, in a school setting is tricky. We must balance our own political views while supporting student understanding and an increased ability to navigate the “real world” around them. Please view the resources below to learn how you can bring peace education into your home and discuss last weeks’ tragic event with your children.

Construction Update: Look at Us Grow!

Skate Night

Tuesday, Feb. 20th, 5pm

867 North Angel Street

Layton, UT

Science Fair

Wednesday, Feb. 21st, 8:30am

MMA

Junior High Parent Teacher Conferences

When

Wednesday, Feb. 21st, 3:30pm to Thursday, Feb. 22nd, 7pm

Where

MMA

Box Top Store

When

Friday, Feb. 23rd, 11:30am

Where

MMA Conference Room

Enrollment is now open!

Do you know anyone who would be interested in sending their children to Maria Montessori Academy? The Montessori Method is the most widely and longest practiced form of education in the World. There are more than 22,000 schools in 110 countries worldwide. Current brain and educational research supports many of the practices perfected by Montessori teachers over the last 110 years.

Enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year is open and our first lottery pull will be on February 1st. Don't wait any longer to educate your child for a better world! Enroll now.

We MUST be the change we wish to see.

You can learn more by visiting our website or call and schedule a tour to see this incredible method in action.

Your opinion is important to us!

MAPA Information

Recruiting MAPA Vice President / President

MAPA Board is currently looking for a Vice President for the remainder of the year who will then become the President for the 2108-2019 school year. Please contact heidibradley81@gmail.com if you or someone you know who would be interested.

If you don't know what MAPA is... it is our school's PTA program. The Fall Festival, Gala, book fairs, teacher appreciation, classroom safety kits, box tops (and more!) all happen because of MAPA. We want these wonderful events and opportunities to continue to happen for our school and students, so keep your eyes and ears open for someone who would do a great job!

I hope you all got your invitations for the upcoming Gala. Your student should have brought them home to you, so check their backpacks. We are offering a pre-sale price on tickets purchased before March 10th.

Gala Donations Needed!

Plans for our annual Gala are underway! This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and 100% of the proceeds benefit the students of MMA. Past year's proceeds have purchased computers, playground and PE equipment, classroom grants, and so much more! Every year MAPA asks each classroom to donate a basket for our silent auction. If you have a connection to items that would benefit any of the baskets listed regardless of your student's class, please consider donating. Watch for a request from your students room parent for more details. If you don’t see your child’s class on this list, please contact the teacher and possibly offer to help create a basket for the Gala. As always, any items donated go toward your service hours.

Jr. High- Mindfulness Basket

Ms. Amy- Cooking Basket

Ms. Brittany- Exercise Basket

Ms. Kaley- Golf Basket

Ms. Joy- Rainy Day Basket

Ms. Jen- Gardening Basket

Ms. Laura- Kid Craft Basket

Ms. Jill- Art Basket

Ms. Lana- Movie Basket

Additional baskets not connected to a classroom:

-Car Cleaning Basket

-Spa Basket

If you are willing donate any items to these baskets, please email me at heidibradley81@gmail.com, or drop items off to the office with a note explaining which basket the items belong to:)

WE ARE LOOKING FOR OTHER DONATIONS SUCH AS DISNEY CONNECTIONS, VACATION RENTALS, FLAT SCREEN TV's, LAGOON PASSES AND MORE! If you have connections to any of these items please contact me.

Thanks for all your help!

-MAPA

Wanted: Parents interested in helping with fundraising for 2018-2019

We are in need of a Chair and Co-chair to organize our fundraising for the 2018-2019 school year. Committee members are also welcome! Funds raised go towards all grade levels. We have streamlined things quite a bit so that there are only 4 major fundraising events throughout the year instead of one a month, and we have had an incredible community response in donations to these events. The skeleton is pretty well in place- we just need parents to take it and run! If you are interested please contact rbaker@mariamontessoriacademy.org by Feb.1. We would like to meet with everyone as soon as possible so that dates can be set for next year's events and assignments can be given on things that need to be started on to give the committee a head start for next year. If you have questions, please contact Jenna Beers at (801)695-5864.

Calendar Of Events

Flu Season

Flu season is here. The last couple of weeks we have had quite a few students who have been sick with various illnesses. Please remind your student to wash hands often, and please keep sick children home to avoid spreading the illness to others. For more information, please refer to our illness policy in our parent handbook here.

Overheard

Flu Season

Flu season is here. The last couple of weeks we have had quite a few students who have been sick with various illnesses. Please remind your student to wash hands often, and please keep sick children home to avoid spreading the illness to others. For more information, please refer to our illness policy in our parent handbook here.

Overheard

MMA Spotlight-Ms. Shanan Zollinger (Upper Elementary)

How did you find out about Montessori Education? I was trying to find a school for my son when he was 3. I went to a private Montessori School in Eden Utah. I fell in love. I appreciated the beautiful works and the peaceful way the children worked. I have never looked back.

How long have you been at MMA? 8 Years. Since it opened.

What is your favorite thing about MMA? I love the sense of community I feel here. I consider MMA my family, both the teachers and students.

What is your favorite food?My favorite food is a California burrito from Beto's with green salsa.

What is your favorite color? Indigo Blue

What is your favorite movie? Lady Hawk

What is something people would be surprised to know about you? I have been lost in the Yukon wilderness in Canada. It took me two days to find my car.